EVALUATING THE CIRCUMPLEXITY OF INTERPERSONAL TRAITS AND THE MANIFESTATION OF INTERPERSONAL TRAITS IN INTERPERSONAL-TRUST

Two studies assessed the goodness of fit of ideal, quasi-, and noncirc umplex models of interpersonal traits. Study 1 (N = 132) represents a secondary data analysis using J.S. Wiggins's (1979) original Interpers onal Adjectives Scales (IAS) and reported by J.S. Wiggins, J.H. Steige r, and L. Gaelick (1981). Study 2 (N = 401) represents a primary data analysis using Wiggins's revised IAS (J.S. Wiggins, P. Trapnell, & N. Phillips, 1988). Results of both studies indicated that a quasi-circum plex model provided a better fit to the correlational data than did ei ther ideal or noncircumplex models. Also, in Study 2, results for a su bsample (n = 113)indicated that an ideal circumplex model yielded a si gnificant positive path coefficient from Nurturance to interpersonal t rust(J.K. Rempel, J.G. Holmes, & M.P. Zanna, 1985) but not from Domina nce to interpersonal trust, whereas a quasi-circumplex model yielded s ignificant positive paths from both Dominance and Nurturance to interp ersonal trust.